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TCI of New York Facility Fire: Recommendations about Gardens, Pets, and Home Drinking Water Wells

Gardens: Discard garden produce with visible soot/ash on its surface. Otherwise, all produce from any garden should be thoroughly washed with clean water and or peeled prior to consumption. Extra care should be taken with leafy vegetables, as their leaves may trap soot/ash. Constituents in soot/ash that may remain on the surface of soil are not likely to be taken up into plants or vegetables. In most areas (i.e., areas where there is no or only minor evidence of ash or soot) ample watering (or rain) is expected to be sufficient to reduce presence of soot/ash in surface soil. However, if there is extensive deposition of soot/ash (e.g., a thick visible layer) you could consider removing and discarding the soot/ash, and then tilling the soil or adding clean soil at a future date. Pets: Exposure of pets to soot from the fire is not expected to harm them. If your pet is dirty or dusty with soot from the fire, you may wish to wash them with an appropriate shampoo or soap. If the water or food supply for pets is visibly contaminated with soot, it should be replaced. If you are concerned about substantial amounts of soot indoors or outdoors, follow the “General Recommendations for Clean-up of Soot/Ash from the TCI of New York Facility Fire.” Home Drinking Water Wells: Contamination of home drinking water wells from this event is extremely unlikely. People can continue to use their wells as they normally would. If you have any questions please call your local or state health department. Columbia County - 828-3358 Rensselaer County - 270-2674 New York State Department of Health - 402-7800 August 2, 2012